ghist102transportationfandomcom-20200213-history
The Assembly Line
The Assembly Line The assembly line was first created in 1901 by Ransom E. Olds, also the inventory of the Oldsmobile. Shortly after its invention, Olds' model of the assembly line was introduced to the Ford Motor Company by William "Pa" Klann, where Henry Ford made the critical adjustment of adding a conveyor belt to the design. The result was a revolution in not just the American automobile industry, but industry throughout the world. In the automobile industry, the rate of production of Ford cars soared and cars became more widely available to the common American citizen. In the industrial world, the assembly line sparked a boom in the production of goods and brought about the division of labor throughout the global community. Historical Significance The assembly line marked a time of industrial growth and rapid consumerism. Never before had goods been able to be produced at such a rapid rate for the consumer. This rapid production of goods brought about short economic growth up until the depression in the twenties. Perhaps one of the most successful industries as a result of the assembly line was that of the automobile. After Ford's additon of the conveyor belt to Olds original model which allowed for division of labor, the rate of production for Ford's automobiles jumped from 12 hours per car to about 1 and a half hours per car. As a direct result, the price of the Ford Model T dropped roughly 300 dollars, making it more affordable to families who would have previously not been able to purchase one. Further down the road, automobiles are still being mass produced today. The significance of this sudden rapid production of cars is that it leads to an increased demand for public roads and highways. In addition to the increased development of a national infrastructure, cities began to expand outward and give rise to suburbs. Both of these result in an increased growth in trade within the country as the cities now acted as the industrial producers, due to the conveyor belt, and the roads acted as trade routes between the producers and consumers in the United States and Europe. Global Impact Once the assembly line had been perfected for industrial use, it quickly spread to all countries around the world, primarily European countries such as Great Brittain and Germany. Its effect on global production and innovation was profound. Business expanded and trade was sparked in the global community as a result of the ability to quickly and cheaply make large quantities of a product. The world experienced economic growth due to increased production and the rise of consumerism. Similar to America, European countries also began using Ford's model of the assembly line to produce automobiles in large quantites. As a result, there was a call for an improved infrastructure and cities began expanding outwards to accomodate the industrial expansion. As in America, this outward growth of cities around the world and improved infrastructure led to a greater, more interconnected trading community among the European nations and the world. Works Cited "Assembly Line History - Invention of the Assembly Line." Assembly Line ''History - Invention of the Assembly Line''. N.p., 16 May 2006. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. . "The Assembly Line: Shaping 20th Century America." Socyberty. N.p., 8 Oct. 2009. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. . Photo - http://canoelover.com/?attachment_id=1091